Darts World Champions

PDC / BDO World Champions

There are currently two recognised World Dart Champions the BDO / WDF Word Champion and the PDC World Champion. The first World Champion was Leighton Rees from Wales. Leighton beat John Lowe 11 legs to 7 and won £3,000. The final was played in legs not sets as it is today. The first World Championship was held at the 'Heart of the Midlands' nightclub in Nottingham before moving to the Jollees Club Stoke-on-Trent where it remained until 1985. From 1986 the World Darts finals have been held at the Lakeside complex Frimley Green, Surrey.

1992 saw a number of players split from the BDO and form their own darts organisation; The World Darts Council later to be renamed as the Professional Darts Corporation PDC (See History). In 1994 the PDC staged their first World Darts Championships to rival The BDO Championship. Many of the best names in darts at the time moved to form the WDC / PDC and it has always been a bitter rivalry of who is the best. Many now believe the PDC holds that title due to the amount of prize money it offers, currently five times that of the BDO.

In 2001 the BDO introduced the first women’s World Darts Championship. Trina Gulliver from England has won this event every year from 2001-2007. In 2008 Trina reached the final again but this time she was defeated by Russia's Anastasia Dobromyslova 2-0. Trina lost again in 2009 final to Francis Hoenselaar but regained her crown in 2010, 2011 and 2016. Trina has qualified for the World final every year since it's conception.

The lists below show the World Champions of past and present. Many dart fans can recall the World Champions but not many can name the runners-up or indeed the score final.

Few darts players have dominated the sport, however, there are a couple of exceptions. Phil Taylor won 16 World Titles before retiring at the beginning of 2018. His record of World Titles will stand for many years to come and may never be beaten. On the ladies side of darts, Trina Gulliver MBE dominated the 2000’s a decade in which she won seven straight World Titles. To date Trina has won 10 World Champions Titles and who knows there might be more still to come.

Trina was awarded an MBE for services to darts and her charity fundraising work. The only other player to receive such an award is the late and great Eric Bristow who won 5 World titles.

PDC World Darts Champions

Professional Darts Corporation World Darts Champions

PDC World Championships Main Sponsors:

The highest average achieved in the televised stages of the PDC World Championship Finals is 114.05 set by Michael van Gerwen in the 2017 semi-finals. Michael beat Raymond van Barneveld who also set the highest losing average at the championships, 109.34

Phil Taylor recorded a three dart average of 110.94 in the 2009 final. The highest ever for any major darts championship final.

The 2017 final also broke the most 180’s hit in any darts match, a total of 42. Michael van Gerwen hit 20, 180's while Gary Anderson hit 22, 180's

Adrian Lewis hit a nine dart leg in the opening set of the Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Final in 2011. The first ever dart player to achieve this feat in a World Darts Final

BDO World Darts Champions (Men)

British Darts Organisation World Darts Champions (Men)

BDO / WDO World Championships Main Sponsors:

The first nine-dart leg achieved in the BDO World Darts Championship was by Paul Lim (USA) in the second round of the 1990 Championships against Irishman Jack McKenna. Paul won £52,000 for his achievement. Since then the BDO World Championships has not seen another nine-dart leg achieved but serval have come close.

Year

Winner

Sets

Sets

Runner-up

2019

Glen Durrant

7

-

3

Scott Waites

2018

Glen Durrant

7

-

6

Mark McGeeney

2017

Glen Durrant

7

-

3

Danny Noppert

2016

Scott Waites

7

-

1

Jeff Smith

2015

Scott Mitchell

7

-

6

Martin Adams

2014

Stephen Bunting

7

-

4

Alan Norris

2013

Scott Waites

7

-

1

Tony O'Shea

2012

Christian Kist

7

-

5

Tony O'Shea

2011

Martin Adams

7

-

5

Dean Winstanley

2010

Martin Adams

7

-

5

Dave Chisnall

2009

Ted Hankey

7

-

6

Tony O'Shea

2008

Mark Webster

7

-

5

Simon Whitlock

2007

Martin Adams

7

-

6

Phil Nixon

2006

Jelle Klaasen

7

-

5

Raymond Van Barneveld

2005

Raymond Van Barnveld

6

-

2

Martin Adams

2004

Andy Fordham

6

-

3

Mervyn King

2003

Raymond Van Barneveld

6

-

3

Richie Davies

2002

Tony David

6

-

4

Mervyn King

2001

John Walton

6

-

2

Ted Hankey

2000

Ted Hankey

6

-

0

Ronnie Baxter

1999

Raymond Van Barneveld

6

-

5

Ronnie Baxter

1998

Raymond Van Barneveld

6

-

5

Richie Burnett

1997

Les Wallace

6

-

3

Marshall James

1996

Steve Beaton

6

-

3

Richie Burnett

1995

Richie Burnett

6

-

3

Raymond Van Barneveld

1994

John Part

6

-

0

Bobby George

1993

John Lowe

6

-

3

Alan Warriner

1992

Phil Taylor

6

-

5

Mike Gregory

1991

Dennis Priestley

6

-

0

Eric Bristow MBE

1990

Phil Taylor

6

-

1

Eric Bristow MBE

1989

Jocky Wilson

6

-

4

Eric Bristow MBE

1988

Bob Anderson

6

-

4

John Lowe

1987

John Lowe

6

-

4

Eric Bristow MBE

1986

Eric Bristow MBE

6

-

0

Dave Whitcombe

1985

Eric Bristow MBE

6

-

2

John Lowe

1984

Eric Bristow MBE

7

-

1

Dave Whitcombe

1983

Keith Deller

6

-

5

Eric Bristow MBE

1982

Jocky Wilson

5

-

3

John Lowe

1981

Eric Bristow MBE

5

-

1

John Lowe

1980

Eric Bristow MBE

5

-

3

Bobby George

1979

John Lowe

5

-

0

Leighton Rees

1978

Leighton Rees

11

-

7

John Lowe

BDO World Darts Champions (Women)

British Darts Organisation World Darts Champions (Women)

BDO / WDO World Championships Main Sponsors:

Since the Women’s World Darts Championship was conceived in 2001 one woman has dominated the ladies darts scene, Trina Gulliver MBE. Trina's achievement of playing in all of the World Championships finals stages is something no other lady player can boast. Trina has won the women’s World Championship title ten times to date and has been the runner-up on two occasions. There has always been a debate on the best ladies player ever, I say no more her World Championship Record speaks for itself.

Year

Winner

Sets

Sets

Runner-up

2019

Mikuru Suzuki

3

-

0

Lorraine Winstanley

2018

Lisa Ashton

3

-

1

Anastasia Dobromyslova

2017

Lisa Ashton

3

-

0

Corrine Hammond

2016

Trina Gulliver MBE

3

-

2

Deta Headman

2015

Lisa Ashton

3

-

1

Fallon Sherrock

2014

Lisa Ashton

3

-

2

Deta Hedman

2013

Anastasia Dobromyslova

2

-

1

Lisa Ashton

2012

Anastasia Dobromyslova

2

-

1

Deta Hedman

2011

Trina Gulliver MBE

2

-

0

Rhian Edwards

2010

Trina Gulliver MBE

2

-

0

Rhian Edwards

2009

Francis Hoenselaar

2

-

1

Trina Gulliver MBE

2008

Anastasia Dobromyslova

2

-

0

Trina Gulliver MBE

2007

Trina Gulliver MBE

2

-

1

Francis Hoenselaar

2006

Trina Gulliver MBE

2

-

0

Francis Hoenselaar

2005

Trina Gulliver MBE

2

-

0

Francis Hoenselaar

2004

Trina Gulliver MBE

2

-

0

Francis Hoenselaar

2003

Trina Gulliver MBE

2

-

0

Ann Kirk

2002

Trina Gulliver MBE

2

-

1

Francis Hoenselaar

2001

Trina Gulliver MBE

2

-

1

Mandy Solomons

Youth World Champions

Although the BDO has been the bedrock for youth darts for many years, it was the PDC who first introduced a World Darts Championship. Until this point, the biggest accolade a youth player could hold was the Winmau Masters title. The masters introduced a joint boys and girls (Youth) Championship in 1986. In 1999 this was split into two separate titles one for boys the other girls.

BDO classify a youth player of 18 years or younger, however, the PDC have revised their youth tournament age minimum 16 years – 23 years. Personally, 23 seems a little old for a youth player especially when Jelle Klassen won the BDO World Championship at the age of 21.

PDC Youth World Champions

Year

Winner

Sets

Sets

Runner-up

2018

Demitri van den Bergh

6

-

3

Martin Schindler

2017

Demitri van den Bergh

6

-

3

Josh Payne

2016

Corey Cadby

6

-

2

Berry van Peer

2015

Max Hopp

6

-

5

Nathan Aspinall

2014

Keegan Brown

6

-

4

Rowby-John Rodriguez

2013

Michael Smith

6

-

1

Ricky Evans

2012

James Hubbard

6

-

3

Michael van Gerwen

2011

Arron Monk

6

-

4

Michael van Gerwen

BDO Youth World Champions

Year

Winner

Sets

Sets

Runner-up

2019

Leighton Bennett

3

-

0

Nathan Girvan

2018

Justin van Tergouw

3

-

1

Killian Heffeman

2017

Justin van Tergouw

3

-

0

Nathern Girven

2016

Joshua Richardson

3

-

2

Jordan Boyce

2015

Colin Roelofs

3

-

0

Harry Word

Ladies World Championship

In 2010 Unicorn (Darts Manufacturer) introduced an alternative Womens World Darts Championship. The final took place in the Winter Gardens Blackpool, UK and consisted the best of 11 legs and was won by Stacy Bromberg (USA). The event as not been staged since and there seems no plans for its return.

Trina Gulliver MBE the most successful ladies dart player to grace the earth did not play in this event but went on to win the 2010, 2011 & 2016 BDO World darts Championship a total of 10 World Championship wins to date.

Year

Winner

Legs

Legs

Runner-up

2010

Stacy Bromberg

6

-

5

Tricia Wright

Sadly Stacy died on the 12th February 2017 aged 60

World Soft-tip Darts Champions

World Soft-tip Darts Finals consist of best of seven games. These games include 701 and Cricket and a point is awarded to the winner of each game. Unfortunately, I do not have the full break down of results or indeed a list of past runners-up. Should I managed to obtain these from an authority source I will publish the missing detail.

About Us

Search

As the name may suggest Darts501 is about the main darts game 501. 501, is the standard game played today, however, this hasn’t always been the case. 301 double start double finish was the game of choice played in UK pubs for many years. Today, however, in most major darts matches with exception of one, a player is only required to finish on a double not start on one.

Set-up

Checkout

Nicknames

Walk-on

Darts501 is a darts information, news and resource website. Darts501 fully supports and recognises the Professional and World Darts Corporations, Federations, Organisations, Associations, Disability Darts and Darts Manufacturers. Some of these organisations are listed above. Please enjoy the website.